Bake

Three-Olive Pilsner Loaf From Lori Rice

by:
January 13, 2020
4
6 Ratings
Photo by Countryman Press
  • Prep time 24 hours
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Makes 1 loaf (10 to 12 slices)
Author Notes

No-knead breads feel downright revolutionary the first time you make one. Not just because they take little effort, but when baked in a Dutch oven they get that crusty golden exterior that seems impossible to achieve for a homemade bread. I assure you, it’s not impossible. This loaf is made with a crisp pilsner and chopped olives. It’s my go-to when I need something special for dipping in a seasonal soup. If you’ve never made no-knead bread before, just a heads-up that it proofs in the refrigerator for around 20 hours and then needs to rest at room temperature for about 90 minutes before baking.

Excerpted from Beer Bread: Brew Infused Breads, Rolls, Biscuits, Muffins, and More. Copyright 2020 by Lori Rice. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press. All rights reserved.Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 600 grams (5 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (one 1/4-ounce packet) active dry yeast
  • 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) pilsner
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped black olives
  • 1/4 cup chopped green olives (preferably canned table olives)
  • 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
Directions
  1. Add the flour and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Turn the mixer to low and pour in the beer and 4 tablespoons of water. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed and mix until a dough begins to form. Add the salt and then all of the olives.
  2. Mix the dough for 30 seconds, just until the flour is incorporated, and all the ingredients form a sticky, misshapen dough.
  3. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and transfer the dough to a bowl that has been greased with butter or cooking oil. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 24 hours.
  4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and uncover it. Let it sit at room temperature for 90 minutes to 2 hours to remove the chill before baking.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven, with the lid on, in the oven. It needs to heat for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Gently shape the dough as you scrape it from the bowl and transfer it to the Dutch oven. Place the lid over the top.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 10 more minutes so that the crust becomes golden brown. It is ready when the internal temperature is 180°F and the crust is golden with some bubbling.
  8. Let the bread cool in the Dutch oven for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Melissa Pauser
    Melissa Pauser
  • Donna Jones
    Donna Jones
  • Patti
    Patti
  • beekeeper
    beekeeper

6 Reviews

Patti August 16, 2023
My husband doesn't like olives but loves beers. What would be a good substitute for the olives? Or could I just omit the olives?
 
beekeeper December 3, 2020
I made this yesterday. I am a big olive bread fan and I liked the no knead recipe because it was so easy to incorporate the olives. I would only halve the olives in the future because I like the bigger chunks. I am not a beer drinker but have cooked with beer before and liked the added complexity of flavor but I found this bread to be quite bitter, though I used a Pilsner as directed. I find that toasting it makes it more palatable but the bitterness is a disappointment.
 
Marylouise S. January 19, 2020
For those of us who are not beer drinkers, can you give the names of some Pilsners? And what is specific about a Pilsner? An IPA or a lager won't work?
 
Melissa P. January 20, 2020
https://www.craftbeer.com/styles/german-style-pilsener
IPA's are can be quite Hoppy. Hoppy-ness can lend a bitterness to some palates. Pilsners are smoother tasting. also depends on the brand and our preference. A lager might also work for the recipe.
 
Suzanne January 16, 2020
Would I be able to use a stout (Guinness) instead of the pilsner with the same results?
 
Donna J. October 8, 2020
Wouldn't suggest using a darker beer like stout or porter. The beer would take over the other flavors in this bread.